Wednesday, 4 September 2013

In line with the changes to the centaur mecha I've added some new info regarding back story:
Name: Captain Chiro
Species: Dark Elf
Motto: Long are the days of woe for those who befall my blade
History: Captain Chiro was born to the clan of war elves from the northern territory. From their mountain castle, they have long looked upon the empire of humans with distrust and envy. Chiro in particular burns with the desire to cease the throne of Emperor Rex for himself. To this end he had the elven mages empower his armour, transforming it into the automaton Bronze Ogre. Now when battle is joined, he can merge with the mechanical monstrosity to become the most formidable Dark elf. He wields a golden sword which is enchanted so that it sings when in the presence of danger, giving Chiro seconds warning of impending attack. He can frequently be seen flying from the battlements of the elven castle to swoop down on unsuspecting villagers in the human settlements near by. His arch nemesis is Sir Borrolow who is watchman of the ford and keeper of the northern territory of humans, Borrolow would like nothing more than to dis-empower the bronze ogre and run Chiro through with his own singing blade. Their bitter enmity is born out of Chiro's callous slaughter of Borrolow's parents, a crime that will not go unpunished.
[version two: (well actually there are no changes as such but I wanted to demonstrate some extra features not present in the version one pictures below) Created 16:00 20/04/12]
The main differences here are that the Bronze ogre mecha has a flight mode, not technically a full transformation as the limbs just fold up at the back (if I get round to a true version 2 I may work on incorporating a true transformation).
But here is the kicker, while taking shots of the version without the pilot I noticed the chest shield looked a little like a head... so I made the Minotaur mode, an un-piloted automaton.
[Version one created 15:00 20/04/12]
While I was working on the last two designs, it occurred to me that they looked like they might fit the Medieval universe sub-theme rather than a futuristic one. So that got me thinking, how could I make the X series frame look more "steampunk" or more accurately, how could I make it look more mystic driven?
This is the result, the pilot is a dark elf and he's piloting an ogre class bronze mecha. Finally those ogre hands seem appropriate.
There was method in my madness with some of the design choices here, but I need to fiddle with LDD to work out some kinks before I can show you what I was planning. (see version 2 pics above).
As ever Ratings and Comments are nice, but don't feel you have to. Genuine comments and constructive critiques welcome, spam not.
Related Projects:
Wizard of the Green / Wizard of the Green LDDWise Man / Wise Man's Medieval Mecha LDDThief / Bandit of the Woods LDDDelux Bone Mecha / Bone Mecha version 3 lddCentrix / X213 Sagitarix LDDLady Kay / X369 Lady Karolyn LDDSugegesa Styled Bone Mecha / Chibi Bone Mecha (2013 update) LDDDark Elf / Medieval Mech X style LDD Ogre(April 2012 version)

I'm going through the Medieval themed mocs and adding extra details to the descriptions. Let me know what you think.
Name: Skullgrave
Species: Un-dead warrior
Function: Servant of the necromancer Mortilus
Motto: Gahaaarr
History: Skullgrave is only one of hundreds of resurrected, magically animated, skeletal warriors serving in the armies of Mortilus. Before corrupted by magic, Skullgrave was a soldier in the armies of Emperor Rex, and still retains a fraction of his old mind. Enough to know how to fight. He wears a mystic suit of armour that increases his size, strength and grants him additional defence against attack. Essential for someone who has no flesh to bind him together. He caries into battle his broad sword, which is enchanted by Mortilus. It can drain life from any living thing just by scratching it, life force which is then used to drive the armour making it stronger. This power however runs out after a time and must be replaced, exhaust it completely and both Skullgrave and the armour become as dead as they look. He is the natural nemesis of Sir Rothgol of the lake people, because the caves on the lake hold the door to the underworld from which Mortilus captures his ghoulish warriors. Rothgol is always ready to defend the lake and bar the path of the un-dead. Skullgrave cannot speak, and obeys his master without question, even when ordered to do something that will inevitably lead to his own destruction.
updated version of Chibi Style Bone Army Mecha

Tuesday, 3 September 2013

Name: Bonvarr
Species: Un-dead warrior
Function: Servant of the necromancer Mortilus
Motto: Roooaaarrr!!
History: Once Bonvarr was an elf, but even these long lived creatures pass into the vale, and their bones have become the playthings for Mortilus, the necromancer. Enough of Bonvarr's mind remains to know how to wield a sword, but there is nothing else there, no love, no pity and no desire beyond the will to obey any and all instructions from his master. Bonvarr is kept "alive" by sapping the strength from living creatures via his cursed sword. Deprived of life, he would become what he is, just bones wrapped in a metal box. immobile and, well, dead.
There isn't really much of a back story to this one, for some time I've been impressed by the mecha design from Sugegasa on Brickshelf. I've also wanted to try and do something in a "Chibi" style and do a mecha that was piloted and in minifig scale.
so voila! I've given it/them various names over the last day or so that I've been brainstorming scale and cockpit ideas. This one is the rather lengthy - Chibi Style Bone Army Mecha, though I've also called it simply "skeleton mecha" and "piloted skeleton army mecha".
Note: LDD 4.0 is acting up a little so some of the joints, which should work, don't. This is quite frustrating as it usually affects the wrists and waist (though there is no waist on this model due to the scale). The pilot can be removed. He is actually standing inside a four part cockpit shell which just folds up around him. I'm still working on how to make a solid cockpit body with working access hatch at this scale in LDD.
The sword has a brick on the handle which allows it to be attached to the palm of either hand, the sword does however need to be partly dismantled, in order to change the pose for the mecha with the sword in hand.
I only point this out in case anyone decides to download the instructions and thinks there is something wrong with the model when they try to position the left hand.
points of articulation: obviously the minifig has all the usual points, hip, elbow, wrist and neck. Mecha has joints at the shoulder, elbow, wrist, each finger, the thumbs, hip, knee, ankle and a toe joint.
as always critiques, comments and ratings are welcome.

Monday, 2 September 2013

Even though this is a continuation of the X series piloted exo-frames, I'm going to move it over to the medieval universe theme as I feel the knight look fits that theme better. As a result I'm modifying the back story and description slightly.
Name: Sir Sagitarix (the white knight)
Role: Ruler of the low lands and knight to Emperor Rex
Motto: With a lance in my hand and a wind at my back, no evil will escape me.
History: Saqitarix is among the emperor's most loyal and trustworthy allies. The farms of the low lands have enjoyed his protection since he was a mere boy. His sword and his lance have frequently come to the aid of his people and the country as a whole. In battle he wears the mystic centaur armour, forged in the days of the old world by elves and dwarfs and powered by magic from the noblest of mages. His left arm sports a shield which can deploy twin claw like short swords for close quarter battle, while he also wields a jousting lance in his right. The lance can be empowered by magic to shatter stone and steel. His arch enemy is the twisted sorcerer Malifos, who seeks to steal the mystic armour and turn its magic to evil.
Ok I keep changing the name for this, anyone who is aware of my deviantart.com or cuusoo accounts, will probably have seen this guy called other things, but it's essentially the same model.
There is however a slight error, when I redesigned the main body I didn't take into account how the 3x1 slope was attached to the main body, as a result is is actually "floating" over his back and isn't attached in any of the above shots. [slaps wrist]
There is also a glitch in the placing of the t-bars for the hips and shoulders, so when I go back into the design to modify it, the limbs detach?!
The knights theme was organically arrived out of the centaur concept. But I'm getting deja vu as I did exactly the same with my cyberagents as they progressed from knights, to centaurs and then angels.... interestingly my next project is to make an airborne variant, though I am still brainstorming Ride-Suit ideas.
No ranged weapons this time, I know some people hate mecha that are purely melee based, but I couldn't work out how to add weapons that would fit the centaur design. Any suggestions welcome as Centrix will eventually get a mod or two.
EDIT: Version with the issues described above fixed
Related Projects:
Wizard of the Green / Wizard of the Green LDDWise Man / Wise Man's Medieval Mecha LDDThief / Bandit of the Woods LDDDelux Bone Mecha / Bone Mecha version 3 lddCentrix / X213 Sagitarix LDDLady Kay / X369 Lady Karolyn LDD